Report: Patriots Shopped Eric Decker In Trade Talks Prior To Receiver's Retirement

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Eric Decker abruptly and suddenly announced the end of his NFL playing career on Sunday, a little more than three weeks after he signed with the Patriots.

Though Decker is just 31 years old, and though he's only three years removed from a 1,000-yard, 12-touchdown season, it became clear quite quickly that the receiver was not catching on with the Patriots.

That much was apparently clear to Bill Belichick, the coaching staff, and the personnel department, too, as according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots began shopping Decker prior to the receiver's retirement.

"The Patriots had even discussed him -- despite just signing him a couple of weeks ago, had even discussed him in some potential trades," Rapoport reported Monday morning.

Rapoport noted that Decker was a "long shot" to make the Patriots' roster, and added that Decker's retirement seemed to be a case of dictating his own path instead of being shipped to some other team a week before the season begins.

"So this might have been a situation, similar to say some of the other veterans that the Patriots have had in camp in the past -- Reggie Wayne is one that comes to mind -- that you know what, spend a couple week in Patriots camp, it [becomes] clear that it's time to retire," Rapoport said. "Before anything happens regarding my status, I'm going to hang 'em up, go out on my terms and begin whatever else remains ahead for Eric Decker. I would imagine that he's someone who's probably going to be fine off the field as well."

Decker caught just two passes for 12 yards in Friday night's preseason game, his first accumulated stats of the summer.

As Rapoport noted, Decker will probably be all right in his post-football life. His retirement, though, is at the very least a sobering reminder of how relative "old age" is in the NFL, especially at the receiver position. From 2012-15, Decker averaged 10 touchdowns and just under 1,100 yards per season. A shoulder injury robbed him of most of the 2016 season, he was mildly productive in 2017 (54 receptions, 563 yards, one touchdown) for his lone season with the Titans, and before September of 2018, he took himself out of the league completely. For an NFL receiver, life certainly comes at you fast.